Thursday, December 13, 2012

Holiday Cooking with Corina

So it's that time of year and most PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) are getting a little homesick. The new volunteers here in Azerbaijan have only been at their new (permanent) sites for about a week, and us "Big Kids" have been in country over a year. It's not an easy time for us as we're feeling pretty far away from our friends and family back home. 



In honour of being away from home, today's recipe will be for holiday cupcakes. I've put on Home Alone and will be showing you how to make delicious frosted holiday cupcakes. A bit of holiday cheer is always welcomed :)




Holiday Cupcakes (Christmas & Hanukkah)!
Ingredients
1 Cup Sugar (white)
1/2 Cup Butter (soft)
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1/2 Cups Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Steps
1. Preheat your oven to 125 degrees C (about 250 F)
2. Mix all dry ingredients together
3. Mix all wet ingredients together (except milk)
4. Mix both mixtures together and add milk.
5. Divide mixture into 3 bowls, with a 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 ratio
5. Leave 1/2 mixture alone
6. Using food colouring (sorry, I try not to use American products as this is for PC, but I got a package!) mix red food dye into one of the 1/4 mixtures, and mix blue into the other.

7. In muffin cups (rubber or paper) drop a spoonful of the white mixture in 
8. Then drop a smaller spoonful of red or blue in. Alternate white and a colour until your cups are 3/4 full.




9. Bake cupcakes for around 20 minutes, checking on them frequently. 
10. When a fork comes out of the center clean, the cupcakes are done!


Once the cupcakes have cooled, you will be ready to frost them! If you want a "fancier" look, fill a Ziplock bag about half way full of frosting and twist bag (do not seal). Cut the tip off one of the bottom corners and holding the top, squeeze frosting out!

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pack Cream Cheese (Philadelphia can be bought in many big markets)
1/4 cups Butter (soft)
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
**Food Colouring optional for the final step...

If you have candy canes in a package, great! If not....use these candies below as a substitute (they taste the same). Crush them up and sprinkle them on top!




Nuş Olsun! (Enjoy!)